Belt processing machine



Jan. 15, 1946. o. F. OEPFERT 2,392,817

BELT PROCESSING MACHINE Filed June 1, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I 3nvcntor: OttoIfGOe -tfeI Z',

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Jan. 15, 1946. E GQEPFERT 2,392,817

BELT PROCESSING MAGHINE Filed June 1, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ISnventor: Goefl'ert;

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Patented Jan. 15, 1946 Otto Frederick Goepfert, Brevard, N. 0., asslgnor to Endless Belt Corporation, a corporation of North Carolina.

Application June 1, 1943, Serial No. 489,274

8 Claims.

This invention relates tothe manufacture of endless belting and more particularly but without limitation to a machine for finishing woven or otherwise fabricated, fibrous endless belts, by a combined stretching and ironing or calendering Drocessafter a certain organic or other chemical pretreatment in the course of production.

In the manufacture of endless belts woven or felted from cotton and other fibrous materials the belts are usually chemically treated to enhance their tractive qualities, make them wear resistant, moisture proof and otherwise resistant to deleterious effects of general atmospheric elements and extraneous local elements such as acids and oils to which the belts may be subjected in use After their chemical treatment the belts are further processed to stretch; dry and set them to a definite size in some manner before they are placed in use.

'An important object of the present invention is to provide for a practical, economical and highlyefiicient stretching of the pretreated belt to a predetermined, definite, finished size and at the same time drying and setting the belt to size by an ironing and calendering operation.

The invention consists in a machine of simplilied yet practical and highly eflicient construction and arrangement on which either a single belt or several at one and the same time can be processed with minimum attention and physical effort on the part of an attendant, which machine is readily operated and positive in action, as well as being of easy and inexpensive maintenance. V

A practical but non-limiting embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which:

Fig, 1 is a side elevation of the machine, showing two endless belts as placed thereon for the ironing and calendering operation;

Fig. 2 is a top' plan view; a r

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale and taken on or about the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, through one of the power cylinders; Figs. 4 and 5 are similar fragmentary views, more or less schematic in character. showing, respectively, the two operations of thefoot-valv'e whichcontrols the compressed air supply to and exhaust of the same from the power cylinder}.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the machine;

Fig. 7 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on or about the line 1-"1' of Fig, 2, showing details of thereciprocatory carriage .and its directly associatedelenientsp .7 V V Fig. 8 isnsectloni'through the gearrh'ousing, showing the detailsof the'c'ontained parts; and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view illustrative of a heatingprovision for the belt drying andcalendering rolls of the machine. 1 t Referring now to the illustrative drawings in detail, the numeral Hi designates a table or stand having legs or standards ll by which it is supported on a floor or other substantial base.

Mounted on the table or stand Ill, adjacent one end thereof, is a housing l2. Also mounted on thetable or stand ID are longitudinal side frames l3 and a middle frame [4. Secured to and extending some distance beyond the outer ends of the frames I3 and M are rigid bars l5. Located between and securely fastened to these bars are elongated power cylinders l6. Interp osed between and securely fastened to the outerend portions. of the two cylinder supporting bars l5, which extend from the middle frame 14 are strutblocks I] that tie the two bars together "and add to the rigidity of the structure.

Journalled in and extending transversely through the housing 12 and projected beyond the opposite side walls thereof, are parallel shafts I'8 on the ends of which are fastened pulleys l9. These pulleys are providedto drive the endless belts (designated by symbol B) to bedried and ironed or calendered on the machine and said pulleys are heated in a manner to be later more specifically described. In the general use of the machine said pulleys are usually provided with plain, smooth, cylindrical, peripheral faces, but for some types of belting thecircumferences of the pulleys may be knurled to give a counterpart surface finish to the processed belt, as well-as affordinga 'more positive tractive contact *for driving the belt.

Opposed to the belt-driving pulleys 19 are idler pulleys 20 mounted on individual shafts 2| that are respectively carried by and project laterally from. reciprocatory carriages 22 riding on longitudinal track rail 23, respectively secured to the side frames I3and middle frame Hi. The track rails 3 are pr fe bly formed with rack-teeth 24 (see Fig. 7) that are engaged by correspondingly toothed pinions 25 fixedon the opposite endsof a transverse shaft 26 journalled in bearing lugs 21 provided at thelinner end of. each particular carriage 22. This 'rack-andepinion arrangement is to assure astraight-line reciprocation of the carriage andavoid binding of the carriage slideway (shown conventionally at 28 in Fig; '7')' on thetrack rails 23. V

The idler pulleys Q20 mayor naynot be heated.

. ofiset' laterally rollers 33 and inflthe direction toeffect the carriage 22 and also because the main function of these pulleys 2B, is in the stretching of the belts B as the drying is done by the driving pulleys l9, together with a stack of heated ironing and calendering idler rollers that are placed between the-cooperating pulleys l9 and 20.

As shown, there is a set of ironing and calendering rollers on each side of the housing l2, each opposed upper and lower rollers 3,0,3I', respectively, which latter are separately: mountedon individual shafts 32 extending transversely of the housing l2 and journalled in bearing blocks 33 that are vertically movable in rectangular openings provided therefor in the side walls of the housing. The shafts29A and 32 project some distance at either side of the housing l2 so as to support the respective rollers 29, and 3| in substander spaced relation tofthe housing see Fig.

2). suitable provision and arrangement of springs (conventionally shown at 34 in Fig; 8) maybe made for moving the upper bearing blocks upwardly and the lower bearing blocks downwardly against cam elements 3 5, also conventionally shown in Fig; 8.. e

Normally, the springs 34 press the bearing blocks 33 yieldably against the cam elements 33,

and the space between the respective upper and lower rollers 30, 3| and the middle rollers 29, is sufficient to permit the belt B that is treated to be inserted easily between the peripheries of the middle roller 29 and the opposed roller',3||"or 3l,'as the case may be. After the'belt is thus placed between" the ironing and calendaring rollers and -also placed on the driving pulley I9 and stretcher -pu1ley20; the cams 35 correlated to that particular roller 3|] or 3| are rotated so that their high portions engage the'adjacent bearing blocks 33 carrying the shaft 32 of such roller 50 as to move e roller towards the stationarily mounted roller 29. For this purpose the respective earns 35 are fixed on transverse shaft 33 journalled in stationarybearings provided therefor in the opposite side walls of the housing I2. 'One end portion'of the shaft 33 adjacent the correlated roller 30 or 3| is extended some distance outside of the housing l2 and provided with an operating lever 3'] having a crank-handle 38 thereon. It is, of course, understood that there is a bearing block 33 mounted slidably in each side, wall of the housing l2 for each shaft 32, and there are two corresponding cams 35 on each shaft 33, one cam in direct cooperative relation to each bearing block 33. It is further noted that the two vertically alinedshafts 32 that carry the opposed rollers 30 and 3| at one side of the machineare out of vertical coincidence with shafts 32 that carry the opposed 3| at the opposite sideof the mathe respective pairs the two other chine. So, too, of course, are

of correlated upper and lower controlhng cams 330i, the bearing blocks 33. V

i In correlation to each operating lever 31 there is a iixed stop as on the housing wall, against which the lever is stopped in its movementin the direction to permit the lifting of theroller 3D or 3| from the middle roller 29. Opposed to this stationary stop 39 isan adjustable stop 40 for arresting theoperating lever31 inits movement the closing of .thewiroller 30 or 3| upon the belt B assupported by the opposed middle roller 23. Thus, by adjusting the stop 40 to limit the throw of the cam lever 31 the desired compression is placed the belt where it is positioned between the fixedly mounted roller 30 or 3|, as the case may be, for a given finished thickness of the belt.

The ironing and calendering rollers 29, 30 and 3|, are each hollow, like the driving pulley I9 and they, too, are heated- The heating of all of these rollers and pulleys is illustrated conventionally in Fig. 9, wherein an annular gas-human set comprising a stationary middle roller. 29 l l l, mounted on a fixedly journalled shaft 29A,"and

j hub thereof. As shown more or less diagrammatically in Fig. l, the several gas supply pipes 42 to the respective pulleys and rollers I3, 23, 30 and 3|, lead from a manifold 43 and each pipe is provided with a stop-cock or valve 44. The gas from the source (not shown) is supplied to the manifold through the main supply pipe 45 having a stop-cock or valve 4 5A.

Inasmuch as the normal space between the calendering' rollers 29, 30 and- 3| is only slightly greater than the maximum thickness of belts to be ironed, and the necessary movement of the rollers 30 and 3| toward and from the stationary roller 29 to effect the ironing of the belts is also comparatively slight, the interior diameter of the annular gas-burner-head 4| is usually large enough to aiford ample play betweensaid element 4| and the shaft 32 without any undue flexing or straining of the gas supply pipe 42; However, should more up and down movement of the rollers 33 and 3| be required, the inherent flexibility of the angular pipe extension will general- 1y permit of such movement, or, obviously, a special substantially flexible pipe section or a hinged coupling maybe incorporated in the piping 42 adjacent the shafts 32 many conventional manner.

,A conventional gearing is provided, as H1115? trated in Fig.8, for positively rotating the drivin pulleys I9 from a single motor which is indicated at 46 in Fig. l; The motor pulley 41 is belted, as at 48, to a driven pulley 49 on a main power shaft 50 having a spur gear 5| fixed thereon withinthe housing l2. The gear 5| is in mesh with an idler gear 52 that has a pinion 53 fixed to rotate therewith on a shaft 52A. The pinion 53 drives a larger gear 54 that has a sprocket wheel55 fixed to rotate therewith on a shaft 54A, saidsprocket wheel 55 driving a larger sprocket wheel 56 by the chain 51.

Rotatable by and with the sprocket wheel 56 on a shaft 56A is an intermediate gear 58 that drives opposed gears 53 and Sllrespectively fixed on the shafts |8 carrying the belt-driving pulleys I9. By this particular provision and arrangementthe four driving pulleys I9 (two on each side of the machine) are rotated simultaneously and at the same speed, and constantly during the operation of the illustrated machine. However, in'some machines, provision may be made, within the purview' of the invention, for operating the several belt-driving pulleys l9 separately and independently of each other. But for general use ithas been found practicaltohave the several belt-. driving fpulleys l3 rotate simultaneously and cons'tantly, particularly in'the machine of the duplex type as illustrated, i. e.; a machine wherein two sets of cooperating driving. pulleys l9 and idler pulleys 20 are provided on each side of the machine. j. 'T V.

In the machine as illustratediinthedrawings, the reciprocatory carriages 22' are adjustably attached to the pistons of the respective power cylinders I6. As shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 7, the piston 6| has an elongated stem 62 extended a substantial distance from the cylinder head and has its forward end portion screwthreaded for a considerable length thereof, as at 63. This threaded portion of the piston stem is screwed into a correspondingly threaded bore in a depending lug .64 on the carriage 22, jam nuts 65 being provided on the stem and tightened against opposite sides of the lug for locking the latter in its adjusted position on the stem. In this way the carriage 22 is adjustable for-the processing of belts of different lengths and it is moved by and in the same direction with the piston, accordingly as the fluid pressure (compressed air in illustrated exemplification of the invention) is admitted to the cylinder It at either side of the piston 6|.

The details of the preferred practical power 1? cylinder construction and the operation of the piston therein are illustrated in Fig. 3. As shown, the cylinder body It is provided with a head 66 bolted thereto at its outer end in a conventional manner, this head having an axial port 61 Where a compressed air supply pipe 68 is attached. When air pressure is supplied to the cylinder through the pipe 68 and the piston is thereby moved forwardly, the stroke of the piston is cushioned adjacent the head 69 at the inner end of the cylinder. This cushioning efiect is accomplished by forming an axial, circular, recess 18 in the cylinder head 69 to receive, with an easy, sliding fit, a boss or hub extension ll of the piston 8|, said recess 1B being in constant communication with a compressed air supply pipe 12 through a passageway 13 in the piston head. Communicating with the passageway 13 is a restricted angular port [4 that opens into the power cylinder l6 and is controlled by a spring-pressed ball-check-valve 15 that normally closes the port so as to prevent outflow of fluid from the power cylinder but is yieldable to permit inflow of fluid into the power cylinder from the supply pipe 12. By the foregoing provision, when the piston 6| is forced forwardly under the air pressure in the cylinder as supplied from the supply pipe 68, the air in the cylinder ahead of the piston is forced out through the recess ID and passageway 13 in the cylinder head 69 and into the supply pipe 12, which pipe, as will be later'more specifically described, is at the time out oif from the source of air supply and is opened to an exhaust. This exhaust of air ahead of the piston continues until the boss or hub extension H of the piston enters the recess 76, whereupon further outflow of air from the cylinder is prevented because of the closing or said recess it by the boss or hub extension H and the ball-check-valve 15 at the same time effectively closing the port M. The all remaining in the cylinder after this stoppage of outflow is compressed between the cylinder head and the piston and thus stops piston travel with a cushionin eiiect.

When the belt B to be stretched and ironed or calendered is placed on the driving pulley l9 and the idler stretcher pulley as hereinbefore described, an adjustable stop it is set to limit the travel of the carriage 22 that carries the pulley 2D, the setting of said stop 16 being determined for the stretching of a belt to given length size. With the stop thus set, the air supply pipe 68 is opened to exhaust and compressed air is supplied to the power cylinder l6 through the supply pipe 12. The piston 6| then being in its forward position in the cylinder with the boss or hub extension" within the recess 10 of the cylinder head, the compressed air initially enters the cylinder through the restricted port 14. Then, after the piston has moved", under pressure of the restricted compressed airsupply, a distance sufficient to withdraw the boss or hub extension "H from the recess 10 in the cylinder head 69, the full Iforce of the compressed air entering. the cylinder through the passageway .13 and recess 70 drives the piston 6| more rapidly and powerfully towards the outer end of the cylinder. No

special cushioning provision is provided in, the

4, that rests at. its ends on the track rails 23 and it is rabbeted and provided with teeth H (see Fig- 7) to engage the rack-teeth of the adjacent track rails. Beneath the bar 16 is a parallel clamping bar 18 having rabbeted end portions 18 to engage under the adjacent track rails. The

rabbeting of the bars 16 and 18 prevents endwise movement of the bars when engaged with the track rails 23. The bars are releasably held in engagement with the rails '23 by a screw element having a knurled head or any other conventional provision for its manipulation to loosen and tighten the bars 16 and 18 in efiecting the various adjustments of the carriage stop.

For the control of the compressed air supply to the several power cyilnders l6 and exhausting the same during the operation of the machine, foot valves 8| are provided as conventionally indicated in Figs. 1, 4 and 5. There is one of these valves for each power cylinder in the illustrative machine. Leading into each valve 8| there is a supply pipe 82 from a common main supply pipe 82A leading from a source of compressed air supply (not shown). The main supply pipe 82A is provided with a conventional controlling and cut-off valve 823. The several other pipes in the compressed air supply system of the machine may be individually provided with customary stop-cocks and controlling valves, but as the same are quite obvious and do not enter into the present invention such provision is not illustrated in the drawings.

The foot valves 8| (or their equivalent) are essefitial and they are accordingly illustrated, although more or less conventionally. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the valve casing is conventionally circular and leading into one side thereof is the pipe 82 from the source of compressed air supply as just above described. At a right angular point the pipe 68 is communicably attached to'the valve casing and leads to the outer end of one of the power cylinders it. At a diametrically opposite point the pipe 12 is communicably attached to the valve casing and leads to the inner end of the same power cylinder.

Each valve casing 8| has two exhaust pipes .83, 84, one correlated to the supply pipe 68 and the other correlated to the supply pipe 12. Both pipes 83, 84 of each valve 8| are communicably connected to a common main exhaust pipe 85, The main exhaust pipe '85 is: extended tote Imina-te within the'lower portion of thehereinbefore described gear housing'l2 (see' Figs. 1 and 8) so that the air is discharged into the housing and thus serves as a cooling medium for the gears within the housing'which become heated during the operation of the machine, not only fromthe friction in their working contact with each other but also from the transmitted heat that is applied to the driving pulleys l9 and the ironing and calendering rolls 29, 30, and 3|.

Each valve 8| includes an internal, rotary, two- 'way, by-passing member 88 having a pair of reversed passageways 81, 88, arranged and adapted to alternately establish communication between the main supply pipe 82 and either the pipe 68 or the pipe 12 leading to the power cylinder 18. The passageways 81, 88' are also proportioned so that when one of the pipes 68 or 12 is in communication with the air supply pipe 82 the other is in communication with the exhaust pipe 83 or 84, as thecase may be. 7

The rotary member 86 of each valve 8| is provided with a lever extension having a foot-pedal 89 at the outer endthereof, and this lever extension is yieldably held in a normally raised position and returned to such position after each successive actuation by a spring element 90. In the raised position (see Fig. 4) the compressed air supply pipe 68 is opened to supply the fluid pressure to the power cylinder l6 and the other supply pipe 12 is opened to communication with the exhaust pipe 84. When the foot-pedal is depressed (see Fig.5) the compressed air supply pipe 12 is opened to supply the fluid pressure to the cylinder l6 and the other supply pipe 68 is opened to communication with the exhaust; pipe 83'.

A latch element, as indicated at 9! in Figs. 4 and 5, may or may not be employed to releasably hold the foot-pedal 89 in lowered position, as desired.

In the operation of the machine all that is physically required on the part of the operator is tofirst set the stop 16 to limit the travel of the carriage 22 for the desired length dimension of the'belt B to be processed on the machine.- Then place the pretreated endlessbelt or belts on the driving pulley or pulleys l9 and the companion idler pulley or pulleys 20 of the carriage or carriages, depending upon the number of belts to be processed at the same time. After the belt or belts are thus placed the foot-pedal 89 of the controlling valve 8| for the compressed air supply is depressed and so held, either by the foot ofthe operator or the latch element St (if the latter is provided) until the: drying and ironing or calendering is efiected. The ironing and calendering rollers 29, 3lland 3| may be relatively set to press the belt passing therebetween either before or after the belt .is stretched between the driving and idler pulleys.

After the processing operation on they belt or belts is completed, the foot-pedal is permitted to rise and the controlling valve accordingly actuated to reverse the supply of compressed air to the power cylinder, whereby the carriage is restored to normal inactive position and the processed belt or belts thus loosened and slackened between the supporting pulleys. and calendaring rollers are thenfmoved apart to relieve the belt or belts. of the roller pressure and thebelt or belts next removed from the machine. Thereafter,-the same belt processing operations are carried out successively and expeditiously on the machine; and to material advantage on a largecommercial scale.- By "the provisiontoirp foot-pedal control of the air supply valves 8| instead .ofja hand-operated valve, both hands of the, operator are free for the handling of the belts and manipulation of the essential normally operable. parts of the machine.

The machine herewith. illustrated and described-represents a practical but non-limiting embodiment 'of theinventlon. Therefore, substantial alteration and modification is contemplated within. the spirit of the invention and scope of theappended claims. A

- .I claim:

y 1.In a machine for processing endless belts, opposed pulleys spaced apart and one pulley movable towards. and away from the other, and at least one of the pulleys being heated, power means for rotating at least one of the pulleys, controlled powerrneans for moving the movable pulley in either direction relative to the other pulley at thewill of an operator, adjustable stop means for selectivelimitation of movement of the movable pulley away from the other pulley whereby an endless belt supported and traveling on said pulley is stretched to a definite predetermined length dimension, and opposed, heated, calendering rollers between which the belt on the said pulleys is passed under pressure exerted by said rollers.-

2. In a machine for processing endless belts, a power-actuated driving pulley and a cooperatively opposed idler pulley on which an endless belt to be processed is supported and travels, a reciprocatory carriage carrying said idler pulley, a fluid pressure power cylinder having a reciprocatory piston therein, a connection between said piston and said carriage whereby travel of the one is imparted to the other, means within said power cylinder for cushioning the piston therein at the end of its stroke in the direction to move the car- 40 riage toward said belt supporting and driving The ironing pulley, an external adjustable stop element for varying and limiting the travel of said carriage in the direction away from said belt supporting and driving pulley, and controlled means for supplying fluid pressure to said power cylinder selectively at either side of the piston and at the same time exhausting the fluid pressure from the cylinder at the side of the piston opposite to that atwhichthe fluid pressure is being'efiectively applied.

3. a machine for-processing endless belts comprising means for supporting and stretching a belt to a given length dimension and at the same time causing travel of the belt, opposed calendering rollers, the one relatively movable toward the other and between which rollers the belt, supone of said calendering rollers toward the other whereby to press to a given thickness the belt traveling between the rollers.

" 4. In a belt processing machine, a power-actuated, heated, driving pulley and a cooperatively opposed idler pulley on which an endless belt is supported and caused to travel, one of said pulleys being movable toward and away from the other, controlled power means for selectively moving the movable pulley in either direction at the will of an operator, normally spaced, cooperatively opposed, heated, ironing and calendaring rollers, the one movable with relation to the other and between which the supported belt is passed in its travel between, said first mentioned pulleys, and means including a cam element, a cam operating and holding element and an adjustable stop limiting the movement of said cam operating and holding element, for etting and holding said ironing and calenderlng rollers in a definitely spaced relation to each other whereby to press the belt passing therebetween to a desired'thickness.

5. The processing of an endless belt, comprising the placing of the belt supportedly on cooperatively opposed pulleys, rotating the pulleys with the belt thereon whereby to cause the belt to travel accordingly about the pulleys, forcibly spacing the pulleys to a definite predetermined distance apart during the time the belt is carried thereon, whereby to stretch and set the belt to a desired finished length dimension and passing the stretched belt as it is caused to travel around said pulleys between transversely arranged and cooperatively opposed ironing and calendering rollers whereby the belt is pressed to a predesupporting and stretching pulleys, passing the belt between heated, cooperatively opposed, ironing and calendering rollers, whereby the belt is pressed to a predetermined thickness.

'7. In a machine for processing endless belts, opposed pulleys spaced apart, means for rotating at least one of said pulleys, controllable means for varying the spacing of said pulleys, adjustable stop means for selective limitation of the extent to which said pulleys may be spaced apart whereby an endless belt supported and traveling on said pulleys is stretched to a, predetermined length di mension, and opposed calendaring rolls between which the belt on said pulleys is passed whereby said belt is pressed to a given thickness.

8. In a machine for processing endless belts, opposed, spaced apart, pulley members, said pulley members comprising pulleys mounted at each end of an intermediately journalled shaft, means for rotating at least one of said pulley members, controllable means for varying the spacing of said pulley members, adjustable stop means for selective limitation of the extent to which said pulley members .may be spaced apart whereby endless belts supported and traveling on said pulleys are stretched to a predetermined length dimension, and opposed calendering rolls between which the belts on said pulley members are passed, whereby said belts are pressed to a given thickness.

O'I'I'O FREDERICK GOEPFERT. 

